'Guns for Force 17 Will Be Used Against Israeli Citizens'

MK Saar warned that guns transferred to Fatah will be used against Israelis. A PRC terrorist spokesman said that his faction would obtain the guns.

By Nissan Ratzlav-Katz

First Publish: 7/26/2007, 11:55 PM

Shortly after it was made public on Thursday that Israel approved the transfer of thousands of assault weapons from Jordan to the Palestinian Authority, Likud Knesset Member and faction chief Gideon Saar warned that the guns will be used against Israelis. A Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) terrorist said that, in any case, the guns will end up in different hands than those for which they are intended.

The transfer of 3,000 guns - some reports said 1,000 - from Jordan to PA forces in Jericho was apparently approved by the Israeli government this week. The guns are earmarked for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's elite Force 17 militia. It will be the largest such weapons transfer in several years.

In reaction to the news of the intent to further equip PA forces, MK Saar said, "This is an irresponsible move by [Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert and [Defense Minister Ehud] Barak. It is based on totally ignoring our past experience and lessons, which show that the guns will be used against Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers. Fatah has no lack of weapons."The guns will end up in different hands than those for which they are intended.

PRC spokesman Muhammad Abdul El ("Abu Abir") seemed to confirm MK Saar's warnings: "The PA hasn't learned from Gaza, as we warned in the past, that the weapons transferred to Gaza would eventually end up in the hands of the Palestinian resistance. So we promise that these weapons will end up in the hands of the Palestinian resistance."

Thousands of weapons given to Abbas's Fatah militias ended up in Hamas hands during the Hamas takeover of Gaza.

The PRC is a local Gaza confederation of armed factions from several PA terrorist groups, operating in unison under a Hamas umbrella. The PRC was one of three terrorist groups that kidnapped IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit in June 2006. Shalit's exact whereabouts and condition are currently unknown.